Industry Scan: News from Paris Airshow

By Jonathan Ray | August 1, 2013

New Products, Contracts for Teledyne Controls

El Segundo, Calif.-based Teledyne Controls made a big splash at this year’s Paris Airshow, signing a series of operational connectivity deals and introducing new products designed to help operators efficiently collect and analyze critical flight data.

The company signed a Technical Services Agreement (TSA) with Boeing to certify its Terminal Cellular System (TCS) on the 787. This will give operators an option to provide each aircraft with an IP connection to speed the flow of flight data once the aircraft is on the ground, Teledyne said.

The TCS provides an off-board high-speed communication link for the 787 Core Network, supplementing the existing Wi-Fi Terminal Wireless LAN Unit communication link by providing economical high-speed connectivity at virtually every airport location worldwide, the company said. Data transferred by the TCS will include the downlink of continuous Flight Operations Quality Assurance and maintenance data for maintenance programs, the uplink of Loadable Software Application Parts such as the monthly navigation database updates, support for Electronic Flight Bag applications, and the transfer of more than 100 types of reports generated by engine and other onboard systems.

Additionally, the company is deploying its enhanced data loader (eADL) technology on the new Boeing 737NG fleet being delivered to Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA. Norwegian said having the equipment installed on a fleet of 42 737NGs translates into a savings of about $11,700 per month.

Additionally, the company said TUI Airlines including TUIfly, Jetairfly, and TUIfly Nordic is operating Teledyne’s wireless system for electronic Software Part distribution and loading for the airline’s 737NG fleet. The selected package includes Teledyne’s LoadStar Server Enterprise (LSE) software application, the enhanced Airborne Data Loader, the Portable Maintenance Terminal 2000 (PMAT 2000) and the Wireless GroundLink Comm+ system (WGL Comm+).

With this system, TUI Airlines can electronically record and wirelessly transfer its flight data, via the WGL Comm+ system, from the aircraft to the ground, within minutes of landing, and from any of its airport hubs. In addition, TUI Airlines can wirelessly distribute Software Parts from one central location directly from its ground station’s software configuration system, LSE, through the WGL Comm+ system, to the eADL for loading into onboard target systems, across its Boeing 737NG fleet, according to the company.

Teledyne said its Wireless GroundLink Comm+ achieved certification to be retrofitted to all major commercial aircraft types. The system can now be installed on Boeing 737, 747, 757, 767, 777 and MD-80, and Airbus A318/A319/A320/A321, A330 and A340.

Thales Avionics 2020

Thales introduced what it is calling the “cockpit of the future,” its Avionics 2020 suite, which demonstrates the technologies and concepts manufacturable now and which can be made flight-ready on commercial aircraft in the next 7 years.

Features of the Thales Avionics 2020
suite include touchscreen cockpit displays
and bi-chromal head-up displays.

The company said the cockpit is the evolution of its One Display for a Cockpit Interactive Solution (ODICIS) demonstrator, which was unveiled in 2011 and illustrates the technologies and innovations Thales imagines will be needed on commercial aircraft in the next 20 years.

Features of the Avionics 2020 cockpit include scalability, bi-chromal head-up displays, personalization, an intuitive human-machine interface, large secure display areas, and multi-touchscreen capabilities.

“We are showing the world that a cockpit designed around more seamless interaction between the pilot and the electronics is no longer a purely intellectual concept, but a viable commercial application which, as more and more functionalities and tasks are added to a pilot’s workload, will become essential for the future of air transport,” said Denis Bonnet, head of innovation for the cockpit competence center at Thales.

Green Taxi System

Safran, in partnership with Honeywell, introduced an electronic green taxi system (EGTS) for commercial aircraft. The system is designed to improve operational efficiency, save fuel and reduce delays. Air France signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to study the technology.

Carl Esposito, vice president of product marketing at Honeywell, told Avionics Magazine the technology, which utilizes Honeywell’s auxiliary power units (APU) and onboard avionics systems, has the potential to save airlines $200,000 per aircraft per year in fuel costs. Additionally, the company said the potential market for this technology is about 80 percent of the world’s 10,000 single-aisle aircraft.

“We’re trying to make operations greener in the air and on the ground,” Esposito said. The EGTS allows aircraft to taxi without requiring the use of aircraft engines by using the APU generator to power motors in the main wheels. Each of the aircraft’s powered wheels is equipped with an electromechanical actuator, while unique power electronics and system controllers give pilots total control of the aircraft’s speed, direction and braking during taxi operations, Honeywell said.

Honeywell and Safran are targeting EGTS entry into service on new aircraft in 2016, shortly followed by a retrofit option on existing aircraft.

The MOU with Air France will analyze the potential technical, operational and financial benefits of the EGTS.

In turn, Air France will provide assistance to Safran and Honeywell in refining estimated savings of the system and quantifying other operational benefits, the companies said.

Contracts

Ã¢Å¾Â¤ Thomas Cook selected Thales to provide a set of avionics systems including Flight Management System, Surveillance products and the new On-Board Airport Navigation System on its new Airbus A320 and A321.

Under the terms of this agreement, Thomas Cook will be among the first airlines in the world to equip its Single Aisle aircraft with the On-Board Airport Navigation System, an integrated and avionics certified airport moving map developed by Thales for Airbus.

Ã¢Å¾Â¤ Philippine Airlines (PAL) selected a range of Thales avionics equipment for its 44 A321s and 20 A330s. The package includes the TopFlight Flight Management System for which a new software version is being supplied for PAL’s new aircraft. Release 1A, certified on the Airbus A320 and A330 family, enables Required Navigation Performance with Authorization Required and GNSS Landing System capabilities.

The Thales/ACSS Surveillance System includes the Traffic Collision Avoidance system TCAS3000SP and associated the Mode S Transponder. The TCAS3000SP is compliant with the Change 7.1 mandate and will support future ADS-B IN applications. The Mode S Transponder is ready to support the DO-260B requirement.

Ã¢Å¾Â¤ Thales and L-3 Communications joint venture, ACSS, said Airbus named its T3CAS traffic management computer the standard surveillance avionics suite for its A320 Family of Jets.

Ã¢Å¾Â¤ Curtiss-Wright Controls received a $4 million contract from an unnamed helicopter manufacturer to supply rugged flight data recorders for its new multi-role helicopter. Under the agreement, Curtiss-Wright Controls Avionics & Electronics will provide its Data Acquisition Flight Recorder products, used to provide data acquisition and Accident Data and Voice Recorder functions, on the new rotorcraft. Shipments will begin this year.

Ã¢Å¾Â¤ Iberia Airlines is upgrading its single-aisle fleet with Rockwell Collins ’ VHF-2100 Very High Frequency Transceiver, which complies with current voice and data link requirements, and enables the CPDLC European airspace requirement. Implementation of the new transceivers is in progress.

Ã¢Å¾Â¤ China Southern Airlines has selected a host of Rockwell Collins avionics systems for 66 new aircraft, including Airbus A320s, and Boeing 777s and 737 NGs. Deliveries will begin this year. As part of the selection, Rockwell Collins’ MultiScan Threat Detection System and GLU-925 Multi-Mode Receiver will be featured on all aircraft.

Ã¢Å¾Â¤ Taiwan-based EVA Air has selected the suite of Rockwell Collins avionics, including its MultiScan Threat Detection System and GLU-925 Multi-Mode Receiver, and SATCOM for seven new Boeing 777s with an option for an additional four.

The NXT-600 is DO-260B- and DO-181E-compliant to meet CASA’s 2014 mandate, Eurocontrol’s 2015 mandate and the 2020 FAA NextGen Air Transportation System mandate for ADS-B Out capability.

Ã¢Å¾Â¤ AgustaWestland is now offering the Trilogy Electronic Standby Instrument (ESI) from L-3 Aviation Products aboard the AW119 production helicopter. Both the commercial and military variants of the AW119 will offer the Trilogy ESI. The Trilogy ESI-2000 is a solid-state standby instrument, replacing the three analog standbys and providing attitude, altitude, airspeed and optional heading data on a 3.7-inch digital screen.

Developed and produced by Sagem, Sigma 95 is an autonomous hybrid inertial navigation system combining laser gyros and GPS/Glonass satellite navigation. It ensures high-precision navigation and broad operational flexibility for both combat and special-mission aircraft. Two-thirds of the systems in this order will be manufactured in India by HAL.

Ã¢Å¾Â¤ Astronics wholly owned subsidiary, Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems, will supply Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. with the Secondary Electronic Power Distribution System (EPDS) for its new PC-24 aircraft. Initial deliveries will begin in 2016.

Barco Bizjet Display

Belgium-based Barco introduced the DU-1200, a 12-inch primary flight display, designed for business jet applications. The 4.5-pound display has been tailor-made for Honeywell’s upgraded Apex avionics cockpit suite for business aircraft, and will be available in 2014, according to the company. “For the design of this unit, we considered weight reduction in every step of the design process,” said Brecht Baert, Barco product manager Avionics. “We’ve taken every component and evaluated how we could make it lighter. It became a special philosophy that made us re-evaluate a number of components that we would never have considered changing otherwise.”